Mastering Thracian Kaval Ornamentation

Mastering Thracian
Kaval Ornamentation:
A Handbook
Lyuben Dossev
Mastering Thracian Kaval Ornamentation: A Handbook
Author: Lyuben Dossev, Ph.D.

Translation: Catherine E. Struse Springer
Text editors: Jeffrey S. Fine, M.D., Catherine E. Struse Springer
Music graphics: David Bilides
Print layout and compact disc mastering: Robert Snider
Front cover illustration: Iliana Bozhanova

Back cover photo: Vicki Maheu
Published by
Izvor Music
1930 11th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119-2802
USA
http://www.izvormusic.com
Copyright 2007 by Lyuben Dossev. All rights reserved.

English translation Copyright 2007 by Catherine E. Struse Springer.
ISBN: 978-0-9658579-2-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2007934869
All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
of it in any form whatsoever, except as provided by the U.S Copyright
Law. For information, contact the publisher, Izvor Music.
Bulgarian edition (Plovdiv, 1994): (

) ISBN 954-799-332-1
English edition first published December, 2007.

Printed in the United States of America.
In memory of my father,
Tzvetan Dossev
April 21, 1929 - November 4, 1990
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Compact Disc Index ................................................................................... 8
Preface to the English Language Edition................................................. 9
Foreword................................................................................................... 11
Introduction.............................................................................................. 15
Vibrato ...................................................................................................... 23
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 23
2. Vibrato in 2/4 Time ......................................................................... 30
3. Vibrato in 5/8 Time ......................................................................... 47
4. Vibrato in 7/8 Time ......................................................................... 49
5. Vibrato in 9/8 Time ......................................................................... 52
Sechene...................................................................................................... 54
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 54
2. Sechene on f3................................................................................... 55
3. Sechene on e3. ................................................................................. 58
4. Sechene on e-flat3 ........................................................................... 61
5. Sechene on d3 .................................................................................. 62
6. Sechene on d-flat3 and c3 ................................................................ 65
7. Sechene on b2 or b1......................................................................... 66
8. Sechene on b-flat2 ........................................................................... 69
9. Sechene on a2 .................................................................................. 73
10. Sechene on Other Notes in the Second Octave................................ 75
11. Sechene on b-flat1 ........................................................................... 76
12. Sechene on a1. ................................................................................. 77
13. Sechene on a-flat1 (g-sharp1).......................................................... 80
14. Sechene on g1 .................................................................................. 82
15. Sechene on Other Notes in the First Octave .................................... 83
Combining Vibrato and Sechene ............................................................ 84
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 84
2. Combining Vibrato and Sechene in Free Rhythm Melodies ........... 84
3. Combining Vibrato and Sechene in Fixed Meter Melodies ............ 90
5
6 Table of Contents
Glissando ................................................................................................ 103

1. Introduction ................................................................................... 103
2. Glissando in an Ascending Direction ............................................ 104
a. Glissando in an Interval of a Minor Second............................... 104
b. Glissando in an Interval of a Major Second............................... 105
3. Glissando in Triplet Structures...................................................... 109
a. Glissando in a Single Ascending Triplet .................................... 109
b. Glissando in Two Consecutive Ascending Triplets. .................. 110
c. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet with a Leap ......................... 111
d. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet with Two Leaps .................. 114
e. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet With an
Augmented Second .................................................................... 115
4. Special Situations .......................................................................... 116
a. Using Glissando to Connect a2 (or a-sharp2) with b2 ............... 116
b. Using Glissando to Connect d1 and e1 (or d2 and e2)............... 118
c. Using Glissando in Descending Phrases .................................... 119
Accent Notes .......................................................................................... 129
1. Introduction ................................................................................... 129
2. Accent Notes for Intervals of a Major or Minor Second.............. 131
3. Using Accent Notes in Descending Musical Phrases.................... 138
a. Using Accent Notes for Intervals of a Major or Minor
Second in Descending Musical Phrases..................................... 138
b. Using Accent Notes for Intervals of Greater Than a Major
or Minor Second in Descending Musical Phrases ..................... 139
4. Using Accent Notes in Ascending Musical Phrases....................... 141
Short Trills ............................................................................................. 143
1. Introduction ................................................................................... 143
2. Short Trills in Fixed Meter Melodies ............................................ 145
3. Short Trills in Free Rhythm Melodies........................................... 150
a. Short Trills on Long Notes in Free Rhythm Melodies ............... 150
b. Short Trills on Short Notes in Free Rhythm Melodies............... 154
Table of Contents 7
Songs........................................................................................................ 156
Buren, buren ........................................................................................ 157
Kolyu Kera lyubi ................................................................................. 159
Ivan Doina duma ................................................................................. 162
Rado, le................................................................................................ 167
Tone, le, mari hubava .......................................................................... 171
Dimitur konche styagashe.................................................................... 175
Marin si grada gradeshe....................................................................... 178
Gledai, ma, gledai ................................................................................ 181
Maika Yordana pliteshe....................................................................... 184
Katu rekla Yana ................................................................................... 188
Bibliography ........................................................................................... 191
COMPACT DISC INDEX
A compact disc is included with this book which contains recordings of
the examples, played on the kaval by Lyuben Dossev, with song vocals by
Tanya Dosseva.
Because of the large number of examples, they have been grouped into
tracks by example number. Each track contains around 10 examples, so
that the example number divided by 10 indicates the track number. Track 1
contains examples 1 through 19; track 2 contains examples 20 through 29,
and so on. The example number is spoken before the example is played.
The Accent charts, Chart 1 and Chart 2, are in 4 tracks: the top staff of
each chart is played separately from the bottom staff.
Examples Track Examples Track Examples Track

1 19 1 90 99 9 170 179 17
20 29 2 100 109 10 180 189 18
30 39 3 110 119 11 190 199 19
40 49 4 120 129 12 200 209 20
50 59 5 130 139 13 210 219 21
60 69 6 140 149 14 220 221 22
70 79 7 150 159 15
80 89 8 160 169 16
Charts for Accent Notes Track

Chart 1 Descending Intervals, top staff 23
Chart 1 Descending Intervals, bottom staff 24
Chart 2 Ascending Intervals, top staff 25
Chart 2 Ascending Intervals, bottom staff 26
Song Solo Kaval Kaval and Vocal

Buren, buren 27 28
Kolyu Kera lyubi 29 30
Ivan Doina duma 31 32
Rado, le 33 34
Tone, le, mari hubava 35 36
Dimitur konche styagashe 37 38
Marin si grada gradeshe 39 40
Gledai, ma, gledai 41 42
Maika Yordana pliteshe 43 44
Katu rekla Yana 45 46
8
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
EDITION
When the Bulgarian edition of this Handbook was published in 1994, I
was not really aware of the interest outside Bulgaria in traditional
Bulgarian folk music in general or in traditional kaval playing in particular.
Since that time, during my travels to Western Europe, the United States
and Asia, I have been overwhelmed by the large number of people I have
met who have undertaken to become players and masters of the Bulgarian
kaval. Their desire to have the material contained in my Handbook
available to them was both surprising and gratifying and provided the
impetus to have the book published in English.
This English edition is more than a translation of the original
Handbook. Many of my American friends have contributed countless hours
to translating and reworking the text. They have helped me correct some
errors in the text and the music which had slipped past earlier reviewers
and they have forced me to clarify certain aspects of the text that were
perfectly clear to me but not to them.
This edition also contains one new chapter and comes with a compact
disc. The new chapter, the Introduction, adds explanatory material about
the kaval. The compact disc includes recordings I made of most of the
musical examples found in the text. I hope that hearing the examples will
help the reader understand the written explanations.
I would like to acknowledge the friendship and assistance of so many
people who have helped bring this project to fruition.
My friend and colleague Iliana Bozhanova showed the Bulgarian
edition of my Handbook and an initial English translation to American
friends and piqued their interest. She also drew the romantic sketch on the
cover of this edition which will always remind people of Bulgaria, the
country we love so dearly.
I am greatly indebted to The Center for Bulgarian Culture in America
and its President, Anton Russev, and to the Bulgarian Folk Dance
Ensemble Bosilek of New York and its Director, Cathie Springer.
Thanks to their invitations and support I was able to go to the United States
where I met Americans with a special love for Bulgarian folk music and
dance.
Nienke van Keulen, from Holland, was my first international kaval
student, and helped in the preliminary stages of this project. Vicki Maheu
helped move the project along after a long hiatus, and provided me a
temporary home and office in California.
9
10 Preface
I would like to thank the highly ornamented American kavaldzhii David

Bilides, Mike Gage, Patrick Iacono, Chris Rietz, Rich Schultz and Bob
Snider for their inspiration and suggestions. Most of them learned to play
kaval on their own and have been teaching other American students how to
play. They have been carrying on the tradition of the great masters and
they have truly earned my great respect.
Thanks also to my special music and dance colleagues Hector Bezanis,
Belle Birchfield, Michael Ginsburg, Ivailo Koutchev, Petrana Koutcheva,
Mark Levy and Paul Morrissett.
I am deeply indebted to my editorial and production crew, who with
incredible zeal brought this English language Handbook into being
David Bilides, my publisher, who completely reset all the musical figures
in the book and tried to keep the production team more-or-less on
schedule; Jeff Fine, my sometimes-kaval-playing doctor-editor and
underwriter, whose dedication made this book possible; Bob Snider, my
technical guru, who performed the complex computer tasks, including
formatting and layout, handled printing arrangements, contributed the
drawings for the Introduction, and produced the compact disc; and Cathie
Springer, my collaborator, who took the initiative to do a completely new
translation of the Bulgarian text and worked on the project to the end.
Thanks to Mike Gage, Marian Eines, and Chris Rietz for proofreading, and
Marina Miteva for translation assistance. Thanks to Larry Weiner for
financial support for the production of the CD. Thanks also to Charles
Gribble of the Ohio State University Slavic Department and formerly
President of Slavica Publishers, for publishing advice.
During my time abroad I have met many people who have shown me
great kindness and friendship. Although I cannot acknowledge each of
them by name they have all shared in this undertaking and have my sincere
thanks.
Heartfelt thanks to my familymy mother Nadka, my wife Tanya and
my daughter Tsvetelina. They encouraged me to travel abroad, even
though it meant they would be left on their own during very difficult times
in all our lives.
L.D.
FOREWORD
There are several factors which motivated me to create a handbook
about kaval ornamentation.
1. The musical art of the old master kaval players of Thrace has always
had great emotional impact on those who have experienced it, including
ordinary people who listened or danced to it in its original village setting,
amateur and professional musicians and dancers, and folklorists and
ethnomusicologists from Bulgaria and other parts of the world. It is not
surprising that this musical art has such power. The tangible sincerity of
the otherwise simple melodies that serve as the basis for the repertoire of
Thracian kaval players is a mark of a rich musical tradition and culture.
The expressive techniques or ornaments which the Thracian kaval
player uses to embellish the basic melodies are few in number, yet the
influence and strength of a very ancient musical art are concentrated in
them. The details of when, where, how, and by whom this art was
developed are obscure. Nonetheless, the expressive techniques have been
preserved and handed down from one generation of kaval players to the
next so that today they are crystallized in a highly finished form and the
music thrills listeners with its refinement and emotional intensity.
2. Numerous studies, essays and ethnographic expeditions made to
various regions of the country at different times provide evidence that a
rich folk song, dance and instrumental music tradition has always been an
essential part of the Bulgarian way of life. This tradition includes the
instruments on which the music is played as well as the techniques used to
play them.
The physical aspects of traditional Bulgarian instruments have been
examined in detail in valuable works by V. Atanassov 1, S. Dzhudzhev 2, N.
Kaufmann 3, and M. Todorov 4, among others. In these and numerous other
publications there are descriptions of instrument types, tuning, scales,
peculiarities of sound production, characteristics of tone quality in different
registers, the methods by and materials from which the different
instruments are constructed, and the possibilities for combining
instruments in homogeneous or heterogeneous ensembles.
1 V. Atanassov, Klasifikatsiya na blgarskite narodni instrumenti [Classification

of the Bulgarian Folk Instruments].
2 S. Dzhudhev, Blgarska narodna muzika [Bulgarian Folk Music], vol. II. Varna,
1975.
3 N. Kaufman, Blgarska narodna muzika [Bulgarian Folk Music], 1970.
4 M. Todorov, Blgarski narodni instrumenti organologiya [Bulgarian Folk
Music Instruments - Organology], 1973.
11
12 Forward
With respect to the kaval, previously published research has been

limited to descriptions of the physical characteristics of the instrument and
of the effect that kaval music has on the listener. The techniques of playing
have been commented on only very generally. For example, Professor
Nikolai Kaufmann described the characteristics of the kaval in this way:
The kaval is a musical instrument that has a wealth of

possibilities. In the low register (kaba), it has a dense, full sound that
is rich in overtones. This register is used only by accomplished kaval
players, chiefly those from Thrace and Dobrudzha. The middle
register sounds particularly lyrical and poetic. The rich technical
possibilities of the instrument are apparent in fast dance melodies as
well as in the slow melodies that are most often borrowings from
folk songs. The slow melodies, as played on kaval, are richly
ornamented with a flowing melodic line. 5 [emphasis added]
In his nature pictures which were published at the end of the 19th
century, N. Nachov described the emotive potential of the kaval:
Who hasnt heard, either close at hand or from afar, the melodic
voice of the kaval, most often during the spring and summer, when
the last rays of the setting sun cast the beautiful Bulgarian valleys
into pleasant semi-obscurity and sweet bliss, this sweet voice of the
kaval, and now and again the clear ring of the sheep bells, the
bleating of the sheep and the calling and whistling of the
shepherd. 6 [emphasis added]
We have deliberately stressed the expressions are richly ornamented

and sweet voice of the kaval, in the passages above, because in every
report, and study and description (and even in the lyrics of many folk
songs) there are references to golden kavals or kavals which play and
speak. In other words, researchers and other writers have understood that
there is a special quality to traditional kaval music, but none of them has
been able to describe in detail the techniques which contribute to those
special qualities. Ethnomusicologists and folklorists have paid only limited
attention to the specifics of playing and of musical ornamentation because
they have been theoreticians and not instrumentalists. They have simply
not been acquainted with the actual methods that folk players used to
develop their melodies and play music.
3. If we look closely at artistic trends in the second half of the 20th
century, we discover with some degree of alarm that new elements from
5 Kaufman, 1970, p. 84.

6 N. Nachov, Ekskurziya iz nashata narodna poeziya [Excursion Through Our
Folk Poetry], vol. 51,1895.
Forward 13
outside the realm of traditional folklore have greatly modified Bulgarian

instrumental folk music. For instance, the formation of harmonic orchestras
of folk instruments has caused a complete change in the chamber sound
and the in unison way of playing that was typical of traditional
Bulgarian instrumental practice. Composers have written folk music with
complex orchestration and harmonies that require players to have much
greater ability and dexterity. At the same time, due to the influence of the
so-called modern instruments (clarinet, saxophone, violin, guitar and
others) on which folk music is ever more frequently performed, todays
folk musicians have been forced to search for new techniques. They have
interpolated passages with chromatic scales into their playing, and have
widened the vertical and horizontal range of their phrases. These
modernisms in composition and technique have led to a violation and
forgetting of, and may ultimately lead to a total abandonment of the
traditional way of making music.
4. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Bulgaria attempted to prevent
the loss of this traditional heritage by opening music high schools for folk
instruments and folk singing in Kotel and Shiroka Luka and by introducing
special classes for folk music at the music high school in Pleven. The
students at these schools, who come from different regions of the country,
seek to master the techniques of the traditional folk players and singers.
Thankfully, these institutions are still functioning in 2003.
For over thirty years, the dedicated teachers at these schools have been
zealously collecting priceless authentic material to serve as the foundation
of the folk music programs and as the basic repertoire of young musicians.
This material has been lovingly taught year after year, and has been
enriched with new pieces and songs. Unfortunately, however, well-known
instrumental melodiestraditional masterpieces as well as composed
pieceshave sometimes been learned incorrectly due to the use of inexact
articulation. This inexactitude results from the simple fact that there has
been no easy way to capture the power of the art of the tradition-bearers. In
our specific field of interest, it means there has been no uniform system
with which to notate the individual kaval ornaments. Without such a
system, students have had difficulty understanding exactly what the
ornaments were and learning how to play them; in short, they have not
known what path to follow in order to be able to emulate the exquisite art
of the revered players from Thrace.
5. In 1989, K. Shopov proposed several symbols for notating the
ornaments most frequently used by traditional players 7. Shopovs
contribution is very relevant, particularly in the area of ornamentation,
where practically no studies had previously been made. Yet, while his
notation system can, to a large part, satisfy the need for a tool specifically
7 K. Shopov, Osobeni pohvati pri izplnenie na blgarska narodna muzika

[Special Techniques Used in Performing Bulgarian Folk Music], 1989.
14 Forward
designed to help researchers, folklorists and other writers in their work, it

is not sufficiently comprehensive to cover all the aspects of the
ornamentation used by folk musicians.
For all of the above reasons, I was stimulated to categorize the
ornaments which kaval players use to embellish their melodies, to analyze
those ornaments, to attempt to describe in detail the techniques of playing
those ornaments, and to devise some symbols for notating the ornaments as
a means of remembering where and how they are performed. The more I
have worked on this project, the more I have realized what an extensive
and difficult task I have undertaken, and why so little work has been done
in this area. I sincerely hope that any weaknesses or errors in the
presentation or explanation of the material are not critical and that they do
not lessen the value of this book.
INTRODUCTION
This Handbook describes in detail the techniques of playing many of

the ornaments commonly used by the old master kaval players from
Bulgarian Thrace. It is geared towards students who already have some
experience playing the kaval. However, there may be other interested
students or music enthusiasts who have little familiarity with or have never
played kaval. This introduction provides some basic information about the
instrument and describes some of the conventions used in the book.
The kaval is a wooden folk flute played throughout the Balkans and
Turkey, which originated as a shepherds flute. It is an end-blown flute
without a fipple. This is in contrast to the transverse flute, the most
common member of the modern flute family, which is played by blowing
air through a hole on the side of the head joint. The kaval is held almost
horizontally while playing, although some older kavals were very long and
were held almost vertically. The reader may be familiar with other end-
blown flutes such as the Turkish ney.
The Bulgarian kaval is traditionally built from cornelian cherry
(sometimes referred to as dogwood), box, apricot, plum or almond wood.
The mouthpiece and connectors are made from horn although nowadays
plastic is commonly used. Various materials such as pewter or brass are
used for decorative inlays. The instrument is constructed in three parts
the head joint, one end of which is beveled and serves as the mouthpiece,
the body which has the finger holes, and the foot joint which has four
acoustic holes. Macedonian and Turkish kavals are different from
Bulgarian kavalsthey are constructed from a single piece of wood,
usually ash, have very thin walls, and are very light.
The Bulgarian kaval has one hole on the back of the body (similar to a
recorder) and seven holes on the front (Figure 1). The four acoustic holes
on the foot joint are not played.
Mouthpiece Finger Holes Acoustic Holes
Figure 1 The Kaval
Kavals can be constructed in different lengths for different keys, and as

such are named for the note produced when all the finger holes are closed.
15
16 Introduction
In the past, long kavals were pitched as low as B, B-flat, and even A. Since
the development of Bulgarian state and regional folk ensembles in the mid-
1950s, the D-kaval (also known as a re-kaval) has become the standard
instrument for solo or ensemble playing, even though in the past this was
considered a childs-sized kaval. A C-kaval is frequently used to
accompany singers. In this book, fingering charts and musical examples
refer to a D-kaval.
The most difficult aspect of playing the kaval is producing a sound. The
player blows across the mouthpiece, the open end at the head of the
instrument. The air column crossing this opening is split and generates a
pressure wave down the interior of the body to produce the sound.
In modern practice, the fingers of the left hand are used to cover the
upper holes of the kaval and the fingers of the right hand are used to cover
the lower holes, although it is possible to play with the hands reversed
(Figure 2).
Figure 2 Old Master Kaval Players (From L to R): Dosyu Milkov,

Dragan Karapchanski, Nikola Ganchev around 1960. Here two are playing
with the right hand on top.
Introduction 17
In this book we follow the convention of the upper left hand. Figure 3
shows the way to position the fingers over the holes as well as the finger
numbering convention used in this book. The thumb of the left hand covers
the hole on the underside of the instrument. The forefinger, middle finger,
and ring finger of the left hand cover the top three holes respectively. The
forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky of the right hand cover the
next four holes. The right thumb rests under the middle section of the kaval
and is used to balance the instrument while playing. The pads of the middle
phalanges of fingers 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, are used to cover the respective holes
whereas the pads of the distal phalanges of fingers 4 and 8 are used to
cover holes 4 and 8. The side of the distal phalange of the thumb is used to
cover the first hole.
Figure 3 Finger Placement and Numbering Convention
The kaval has four registers and a range of nearly three octaves. Figure
4 shows fingering charts for the D-kaval. The number next to the note
name indicates the octavethe fundamental register is denoted as octave
1. In the charts, dark circles indicate closed finger holes, empty circles
indicate open holes, and partially filled circles indicate fingers which help
hold the kaval while playing but do not affect the pitch of the note.
There is a half step between notes on the kaval, except for the lowest
two notes, which are separated by a whole step. Thus the first two notes on
18 Introduction
the D-kaval are d1 and e1, then f1, f-sharp1, etc. Several notes can be
played with more than one fingering. Thus a2 and b2 can be played in
either the second or third register, and f-sharp3 can be played in either the
third or the fourth register. There are alternate fingerings for other notes as
well which are described in the chapter on Sechene.
The first or fundamental register is achieved by blowing very softly.
Overblowing produces the higher registers. The second register is an
octave above the first register, the third register is a fifth above the second
register, and the fourth register is a fifth above the third register and an
octave above the second register.
Most melodies are played in the second and third registers. The high
notes of the fourth register, particularly those above a3, are difficult to
play, sometimes require special fingerings, and may not sound on all
instruments. In normal practice, notes of the first register are rarely played
as pure tones. They are played together with notes of the second register to
create a multiphonic effect called kaba, which sounds very breathy or
reedy. In written music, notes transcribed in the lowest octave are played
as kaba.
Introduction 19
Figure 4a Fingering Chart for D-Kaval First 3 Registers

20 Introduction
Figure 4b Fingering Chart for D-Kaval 4th Register

Introduction 21
One of the most important characteristics of the folk music of Bulgarian

Thrace is that there are no long sustained notes. A long note will almost
always be articulated as shorter notes, either according to the pulse of the
rhythm (in fixed meter) or improvisationally (in free rhythm). On most
Western classical woodwind instruments, one of the simplest ways to
separate and articulate notes is to tongue them. In traditional Thracian
kaval playing, however, tonguing is very limited. It is used sometimes at
the beginning of the phrase with a hard attack, occasionally in the middle
of the phrase with a medium attack, or sometimes at the end of a phrase
with a soft attack. Most notes, though, are not articulated by tongueing.
Instead, traditional players use a variety of ornaments for articulation.
We use the term ornament loosely to mean any special technique or
sound effect which is used to embellish or articulate a particular note or
musical phrase. The ornaments discussed in this Handbookvibrato,
sechene, glissando, accent notes, and short trillsare the ones most
frequently used by traditional kaval players. We describe when and how
these ornaments are played according to the style of the old masters but
there are no truly hard and fast rules about how to play these ornaments.
Some of the descriptions of how to play the ornaments or of what the
ornaments sound like may seem confusing or be difficult to understand.
Many concepts will become clearer if the reader listens to the musical
examples on the compact disc which accompanies this book.
Who are the Thracian old masters to whom we continually refer?
There are great players, both men and women, who lived before the age of
recordings, whose fame in Bulgaria spread mostly by word of mouth, and
about whom we have occasional written accounts 1. There is also a
modern generation of masters who became widely known throughout
Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century and of whom there are
recordingsplayers such as Nikola Ganchev, Penkov Georgiev, Dragan
Karapchanski, Gospodin Stanev, and Stoyan Velichkov. The players of
both groups learned in the traditional waywhen they were young they
would go to listen to older masters at pubs, weddings and fairs and try to
learn their melodies and emulate their techniques.
For transliterating Bulgarian words into English we have chosen a
simple and hopefully easy to read method which avoids putting diacritical
marks over most letters. The only exception is the Bulgarian letter
1 For a history of Bulgarian kaval players, see Slav Draganski, Kavalt

sviri-govori [A Kaval Plays and Speaks], 1985. An English language edition by
L. Dossev and C. Springer is in preparation.
22 Introduction
(pronounced like the letter u in hurry or butter), which we transliterate as

. For example, is transliterated as rchenitsa.
VIBRATO
1. Introduction
Vibrato is a small oscillation of pitch which enriches or intensifies the
sound of a note. It is one means of articulation and helps regulate the
internal structure of a musical phrase in the same way that syllables do in a
song text. Thracian folk musicians introduce vibrato intuitively as they
play their melodies, with a sense of glasovodenea marked sensitivity for
drawing out the sound in a particularly smooth way. Simple melodies are
greatly enhanced by the addition of vibrato so that they seem to come alive
and fascinate the listener with their powerful emotion and rich spirit.
Vibrato is a common technique in instrumental and vocal practice. A
singer makes her vocal cords vibrate in a specific way. On string
instruments such as the violin, the player rocks his finger while pressing
the string against the neck of the instrument. On modern wind instruments
such as the flute, the player varies the intensity of blowing into the
instrument.
On kaval, vibrato is not produced by varying the intensity of blowing.
Rather, kaval players have developed a technique of rocking their fingers
smoothly up and down over the sound holes of the instrument. This
enables them to produce sounds that are very similar to the vibrato
produced by Thracian folk singers.
The mechanics of playing vibrato are not complicated and do not
require significant technical skills. The rocking movement is accomplished
by bending and unbending the finger at the joint between the second
(middle) and third (distal) phalanges. The slight rolling motion that results
causes the finger to partially uncover the sound hole and raises the pitch of
the note.
Although this rocking movement can be achieved without great
difficulty by beginning instrumentalists, in order for vibrato to be
performed correctly, the rocking cannot be random or haphazard. It must
be strictly in keeping with the meter and rhythmic structure of the melody.
The ability of traditional Thracian kaval players to use vibrato in their
playing distinguishes them from traditional players from other regions of
Bulgaria:
...A Thracians vibrato is marked by a rhythmical, rather

full and smooth pulsation, while a Shopes 1 vibrato is
irregular and nervous. By means of vibrato the Thracian
1 A person from Shoplk [West Central Bulgaria]. (Eds.)
23
24 Vibrato
kaval player gives his playing a vocal character and makes

the sound more alive and more emotive... 2
An exceptional sense for embellishing the melody is one of the great

secrets of the old Thracian kaval masters. In their playing, the intensity and
speed of the vibrato is not at all trivial. The speed at which vibrato is
played is proportional to the tempo of the phrase, i.e., the faster the tempo,
the faster the vibrato.
We would like to emphasize several key points about where to use and
how to play vibrato:
1. Most importantly, there must be a relatively long note, such as

a quarter note or half note, in the musical phrase. Such long
notes are frequently encountered in free rhythm melodies.
2. The fingers must rock back and forth in a strictly regular and
rhythmic repetition for the duration of the note being played
with vibrato.
3. The pitch of the basic note should not increase more than 5-7
hertz. 3, 4
2 M. Todorov, Blgarski narodni instrumenti organologiya [Bulgarian Folk

Music Instruments - Organology], 1973, p. 49.
3 M. Todorov, Za nyakoi harakterni cherti v yuzhnotrakiiskata instrumentalna
muzika, [About several typical techniques in South Thracian folk music]
Blgarska muzika, 1971, vol. 9, p. 63.
4 At A440, 5-7 Hz is approximately 25 cents. (Eds.)
Vibrato 25
Example 1
Vibrato is produced by rocking the last (lowest) finger involved in

playing the note. In Example 1, vibrato is used while playing the notes e3
and a2, the two long notes in the phrase. In both cases it takes only two
fingers to play these notes, the left thumb and forefinger. The dotted circle
in the fingering chart shown below the staff indicates that vibrato is
produced by rocking the second finger, the last finger involved in
producing those notes.
Sometimes rocking one finger makes the adjacent finger move as well,
and it might appear that vibrato is the result of the simultaneous movement
of both fingers. However, moving two fingers and thereby uncovering
more than one sound hole produces a note that is not actually part of the
melody and does not fit with the sound-sense of the music. As a result of
the physical and acoustic characteristics of the kaval and its natural scale, if
more than one finger moves while playing vibrato, the fluctuation of the
sounding note will repeatedly exceed 5-7 hertz.
26 Vibrato
Example 2
In Example 2, c3 is a supporting long note 5; it is played with six fingers.

Vibrato is produced by rocking the sixth finger in such a way that the fifth
finger stays on the fifth hole without moving. In this case vibrato will
change the pitch of c3 towards c-sharp3 within the interval of a minor
second. Moving the fifth finger would allow the fifth hole to open and d3
to sound. In this case, the amplitude of the vibrato would be too large,
within the interval c3-d3, a major second (Example 3).
Example 3
5 In free rhythm, the melody seems to land on the longer notes, which give sense
to the melody and a structure to the musical phrase. (Eds.)
Vibrato 27
Incorrect rocking of the finger while playing vibrato may produce

incorrect intonation and thereby give the impression of poor musicianship
or uncertainty in interpretation by the performer. Kaval teachers can help
students avoid these problems by acquainting them with the mechanics of
good sound production, appropriate technique and the correct use of
vibrato. To this end it would be very helpful to have students take a close
look at the patterns of some popular folk songs from Thrace, since these
melodies might already sound familiar and they can easily be learned
during a single class.
Example 4
Take the song in Example 4, for instance. The melody of the song
consists of a section with a repetitive structure and moves within the limits
of a major tetrachord. Pay attention to the syncopations in the first and fifth
measures, the dotted quarter notes in the second, fourth and sixth measures,
the quarter note in the seventh measure and the half note in the eighth
measure. How should these notes be played?
We have already stressed that vibrato has to be strictly periodic and
even. To accomplish this, we must mentally divide the long notes into a
number of shorter notes of equal value whose total value equals the length
of the original note. The result of this division is a progression of
uniformly and rhythmically related eighth note sounds.
28 Vibrato
Example 5
If we write out the melody as shown in Example 5, we do not change

anything about the metric pulsation or the relationships of the notes within
or between the measures. This new transcription indicates how the longer
notes would be divided into their shorter equivalents and thus where it
would be appropriate to use vibrato. The eighth-note movement of this
melody requires that vibrato be played in such a way that every rock of the
fingers takes the amount of time necessary for one eighth note to sound.
All the notes resulting from the division of the long notes and which are
played with vibrato are shown connected by ties. Otherwise, without
vibrato, the original quarter notes in the first, fifth, seventh and eighth
measures would sound like two separate eighth notes, and the dotted
quarter notes in the second, fourth and sixth measures would sound like
three separate eighth notes. Note that although the three eighth notes are
shown connected with a tie, they should not be misinterpreted as a triplet.
Why must vibrato be performed in a way that strictly retains the eighth
note movement of the melody? If played with a frequency equal to a
sixteenth note, the vibrato would sound unsteady and nervous, and would
Vibrato 29
disrupt the calm, smooth sound that is so typical of Thracian folk songs. If
the speed of the vibrato is too fast, the result will be something that is close
to but not quite a trill, an ornament that Thracian kaval players avoid and
scornfully call koze vibrato (goat vibrato).
Furthermore, the vibrato cannot be played in such a way that each
rocking motion lasts for the duration of a quarter note either because then it
could not be used anywhere except in the final measure. Since such a
limited use of vibrato would be unacceptable, it follows that vibrato
should be performed with a frequency which is equal in duration to
the metric unit that is most typical and most often used in the
construction and development of the particular phrase.
The following sections will discuss the specific use of vibrato in fixed
meter phrases in different time signatures.
30 Vibrato
2. Vibrato in 2/4 Time
The principles concerning vibrato developed so far can be demonstrated

with examples in 2/4 time.
Example 6
Performed with vibrato, the melody shown in Example 6 would be

transformed to that shown in Example 7.
Vibrato 31
Example 7
The song Leno, le, Lenke le, which is very popular in Thrace, can be
quickly learned by beginning kaval players (Example 8). Adding vibrato
will change the transcription of the song to that shown in Example 9.
Example 8
32 Vibrato
Example 9
Several more melodies are shown in the following examples. Vibrato

can be introduced into these melodies using the same concepts we have
developed so far. From here on in the music examples, vibrato will be
indicated by small notes printed above or below the note(s) to be
ornamented, as shown below.
Vibrato 33
Example 10
34 Vibrato
Example 11
Vibrato 35
Example 12
36 Vibrato
Example 13
Vibrato 37
Example 14
Example 15
38 Vibrato
Example 16
Example 17
Vibrato 39
Example 18
Example 18 introduces a new rhythmic figurethe dotted quarter notes

and two sixteenth notes in the third and ninth measures. According to the
previously developed rule, the dotted quarter note of measure 3 (f-sharp2)
would be divided into three eighth notes that would be played by three
rocks of the fifth finger. The whole measure would take the following
form:
The sixteenth notes in that measure, however, are twice as short as the
eighth note, the typical metric unit which gives the melody its pulse.
Playing those sixteenth notes as written would disrupt the overall smooth
eighth note progression that the use of vibrato gives to the musical phrase.
In this situation, a number of actions should be taken to replace some
metric units with others. These actions will affect only the two measures
containing the dotted quarter and two sixteenth notes.
1. Vibrato divides the quarter note into two eighth notes (by two rocks
of the fifth finger).
40 Vibrato
2. The eighth note represented by the dot is regrouped with the two
sixteenth notes and the measure takes the following form:
So far, we have not really changed anything and the relationships

between the note values have retained their original form. We must pay
close attention to the second metric beat, consisting of one eighth and two
sixteenth notes.
To play this figure we make the following changes:
1. The eighth note is shortened.

2. The sixteenth notes are lengthened.
3. The modified eighth and sixteenth notes complement each other to
form a triplet.
In this way, the rhythm in the measures we are examining changes

from:
to:
In Example 18, measures three and nine would be played as shown in

Example 19.
Vibrato 41
Example 19
The triplet is the rhythmic figure most frequently used by Thracian

kaval players when interpreting purely instrumental melodies as well as
instrumental melodies derived from songs (song melodies). This affinity
for playing triplets is most often seen with song melodies and instrumental
melodies of the vodeno horo 6, 7 type.
In the following examples, and in many examples throughout the
Handbook, certain rhythmic figures are transformed by vibrato into a
triplet, as discussed above. In these cases, the vibrato notation indicates a
triplet and extends over the entire transformed figure but vibrato is only
played on the long note or notes of the same pitch. In Example 20, in the
third measure, the dotted eighth and sixteenth notes are transformed into a
triplet but only a2 is articulated with vibrato. In Example 22, the first
measure of the first ending shows the same transformation as that shown in
Example 19, except that the rhythmic change is shown above the score
rather than inside the music.
6 Horo: a line dance where there is a leader [vodach] who calls changes in figures
to the dancers and in tempo to the musicians. Horo also refers to the music for
such a dance. (Eds.)
7 Vodeno horo: Instrumental melodies or song melodies played at a relatively slow
tempo at the beginning of a horo to encourage people to dance and again in the
middle of the horo to give the dancers a rest. In Thrace, a vodeno horo is most
likely to be a pravo Trakiisko horo in 2/4 time, but it could be a horo in any
meter, provided its function is as described here. (Eds.)
42 Vibrato
Example 20
Example 21
Vibrato 43
Example 22
Example 23
The statements about vibrato and the changes that appear in the
transcription of the melody as a result of using vibrato can be corroborated
if all the cited illustrations are played on a tambura 8. Then each stroke of
8 Long-necked plucked stringed instrument. (Eds.)

44 Vibrato
the pick on the tambura will correspond to one rocking movement of the
finger on the kaval which results in vibrato.
There are melodies in 2/4 time such as Buenek, Trite pti and others, in
which the metric pulsations both within and between measures is different
from what we have examined up to now. The melodies in the next
examples consist mainly of sixteenth notes. The overall sixteenth-note
movement enhances the development of the melody and increases the
emotional effect on the listener. In the interpretation of these types of
melodies, vibrato divides almost all of the longer notes, except for some of
the quarter notes, into sixteenth notes.
Example 24
Vibrato 45
Example 25
Example 26
There are some melodies in which using vibrato is not appropriate. In

particular, certain songs from Thrace, when interpreted on kaval, require a
particular articulation that is not typical of the region. For instance, the
phrase in Example 27 is from a staccato type song.
46 Vibrato
Example 27
There are also some other melodies where it is not possible to use
vibrato. This may occur when the melody is either not a song or is a
composed instrumental melody with a wide note range, with pauses, or
without held notes (Example 28).
Vibrato 47
Example 28
Since Example 27 and Example 28 are not typical of the repertoire of

the older Thracian kaval players, we will not examine them further.
Until now we have looked only at examples in 2/4 time. We will now
consider the use of vibrato in melodies with other time signatures.
The approach to playing vibrato in melodies with a 5/8 time signature

follows the principles outlined earliervibrato divides the quarter note
into two eighth notes and the dotted quarter note into a rhythmic figure
consisting of an eighth note and a quarter note, as shown below.
48 Vibrato
Example 29
Example 30
Vibrato 49
Example 31
The rchenitsa is a particularly emotional dance in 7/8 time that is

widespread in Bulgaria. It is ordinarily danced either individually or in
pairs. Its most characteristic feature is the improvisation and interplay that
occurs between partners.
In Thrace, Dobrudzha and the Varna area, the nature of the rchenitsa
is smooth and the tempo is moderate and calm. In the Shope area and in
part of the Pazardzhik region, the opposite is truethe rchenitsa has a
vigorous, spontaneous nature and the tempo is quick and bright.
Thracian kaval players play the melodies in 7/8 time with enviable
virtuoso technique. The comparatively slow tempo of the Thracian
rchenitsa allows the players to demonstrate their interpretative mastery,
resourcefulness and ability to improvise. By playing in a particular way, a
kaval player can convey to the dancers various emotional moods and can
even suggest footsteps and arm movements. By weaving vibrato into the
melody, the kaval player can enhance the sense of smoothness that is
typical of the Thracian way of dancing the rchenitsa.
50 Vibrato
Typical rhythmic figures used in constructing rchenitsa melodies are

shown in these examples.
Example 32
Example 33
Vibrato 51
Example 34
Example 35
Using vibrato is appropriate in the examples above, because there are

relatively long note values in the musical phrases. In these examples
vibrato is played in the same manner that we have previously described for
other meters.
52 Vibrato
The Daichovo horo, a dance in 9/8 time, did not originate in the
Thracian folklore region, but Thracian kaval players know and perform
related pieces very well, such as the so-called Varnenski horo (also known
as Varnenski kyuchek). Typically this dance has a slow tempo, which
allows the player to use vibrato.
Example 36
Example 37
Vibrato 53
Example 38
Having considered the particulars of how vibrato is used to develop

phrases in melodies of various meters, we conclude that vibrato is
performed in an identical manner regardless of the time signature. That is
why almost every Thracian melody with a fixed meter can serve as an
example for kaval students even at an early stage of learning. When
learning vibrato by this method, three things can be accomplished
simultaneously:
1. Students can become acquainted in a natural way with the wealth

and variety of rhythms and meters in Bulgarian folk music.
2. In a short period of time beginning musicians can acquire technical
knowledge and skills which they can apply successfully in their
playing.
3. Changes in time signatures will stimulate the students natural
curiosity. As they realize that they can introduce vibrato into
melodies with different meters they will realize their first positive
emotionsfeelings of success in their performance experience.
SECHENE 1
1. Introduction
In order to play and articulate repeated notes, modern wind players can
tongue the notes or separate them with grace notes. In general, Thracian
kaval players do not use tonguing. Therefore, other techniques are required
to play repeated notes on the kaval.
Sechene is the use of alternate fingerings to change the timbre of a
note but not the pitch; it is a technique that kaval players use to articulate
long notes and repeated notes. Sechene is most commonly used in the
interpretation of free rhythm melodies.
Using sechene, a player can produce one sound or many sounds that are
repetitions of the basic note. For this reason, sechene is not strictly
speaking an ornament. It is a sound effect with which kaval players imitate
sounds of the world around them. The use of alternate fingerings creates an
acoustic effect that can sound, for example, like the pleasant ringing of the
bells of a grazing herd of sheep.
In different parts of Bulgaria, kaval players use their own local jargon
to identify this technique: putting the lid on [pohlupvane], clattering
[hlopane]. hammering [klepane], tapping [klepchene], etc. All of these
terms refer to the same technique of using alternate fingerings to articulate
a long note.
In this chapter, fingering charts are shown below the staff. The
fingering shown directly below the note is the primary fingering for
that note as played on a D- or re-kaval. Sometimes the primary fingering
will appear exactly as shown in Figure 4a or Figure 4b (pp. 19, 20).
Sometimes a modified primary fingering will be shown with additional
finger holes closed. These closed holes are not technically part of the
primary fingering and do not change the pitch of the note; rather, they
prepare the hand to play the alternate fingering for that note. The
fingerings shown below the v-marks indicate the alternate fingerings
for that note used to perform sechene. Sechene is repeated at each v-
mark; for each repetition, the fingers change between the primary (or
modified primary) fingering and the alternate fingering. The arrows
in the fingering charts indicate which holes remain closed (fingers
1 Sechene: pronounced SEH-chen-eh, literally chopping, as at a tree trunk with

an axe, implies a fragmentation of the note values. American kaval players
sometimes use the term knocking. (Eds.)
54
Sechene 55
remain down) while changing the fingering. Since sechene is performed

with the fingers of the lower (right) hand, we will not specifically indicate
with arrows which holes remain closed by fingers of the upper hand.
In scoring free rhythm phrases, the place for sechene is marked
with a v-mark attached to a note stem above the score (see Example 63,
page 68) while for fixed meter phrases, the place for sechene is
indicated by an unfilled note head, as shown below (see Example 75
page 74).
Certain notes can be played with multiple alternate fingerings. The

choice of which to use is determined both by the intonation of the note as
well as the sound effect produced by that alternate fingering on the
particular kaval being played.
2. Sechene on f3.
Example 39 f3 First Method
The method shown above is the most commonly used alternate

fingering for this note.
56 Sechene
Example 40 f3 Second Method
Example 41 f3 Third Method

Sechene 57
Example 42 f3 Fourth Method
Example 43 f3 Fifth Method
Kaval players use the method shown in Example 43 infrequently.

58 Sechene
The well-known kaval player Stoyan Velichkov performed sechene on

f3 in a particularly ingenious way; by combining the finger movements of
the first and fifth methods he created an acoustic illusion of two cow bells
ringing simultaneously (Example 44).
Example 44
3. Sechene on e3.
Example 45 e3 First Method

Sechene 59
Example 46 e3 Second Method
Example 47 e3 Third Method

60 Sechene
Example 48- e3 Fourth Method
Example 49 e3 Fifth Method

Sechene 61
Example 50 e3 Sixth Method
The alternate fingering shown in Example 50 is rarely used because

kavals are individually crafted and the intonation is often imperfect. Kaval
players have an expressionthe kaval doesnt respond to the fingers. In
other words, an alternate fingering that sounds good and is in tune on one
instrument may not sound good on another.
4. Sechene on e-flat3
Example 51 e-flat3 First Method

62 Sechene
Example 52 e-flat3 Second Method
5. Sechene on d3
Example 53 d3 First Method

Sechene 63
Example 54 d3 Second Method
Example 55 d3 Third Method
Example 56 shows the way Stoyan Velichkov played Kavaldzhiisko

Horo when he recorded it at Radio Sofia, in an arrangement by Kosta
Kolev.
64 Sechene
Example 56
Example 57 d3 Fourth Method

Sechene 65
Example 58 d3 Fifth Method
6. Sechene on d-flat3 and c3
So far, sechene has been demonstrated for notes whose primary

fingering uses only fingers of the left hand. For those notes, the alternate
fingerings involve the fingers of the right (lower) hand to produce a change
in timbre.
Sechene is not used for d-flat3 (c-sharp3) and c3 because playing those
notes actively involves the fingers of the right hand. If we do try to knock
on these two notes with the free fingers of the lower hand, instead of the
effect we are looking for we will produce a grace note corresponding to a2.
66 Sechene
7. Sechene on b2 or b1.
Example 59 b2/b1 First Method
Example 60 b2/b1 Second Method

Sechene 67
Example 61 b2/b1 Third Method
Example 62 b2/b1 Fourth Method

68 Sechene
Example 63
It is very appropriate to use sechene on b2 right after b1 sounds, as

shown in Example 63. Remember that b1 is in kaba; the mark in the score
connecting b1 and b2 does not indicate glissando but rather represents a
change in register. Also note that while the score might seem to indicate a
specific rhythm for sechene, in free rhythm melodies, the rhythm of
sechene is at the aesthetic discretion of the player.
Sechene 69
8. Sechene on b-flat2
The lower the octave the note is in, the smaller is the effect of sechene.
Example 64 b-flat2 - First Method
Example 65 b-flat2 Second Method

70 Sechene
Example 66 b-flat2 Third Method
Example 67 b-flat2 Fourth Method

Sechene 71
Example 68 b-flat2 Fifth Method
Example 69 b-flat2 Sixth Method

72 Sechene
Example 70 b-flat2 Seventh Method
Example 71 b-flat2 Eighth Method

Sechene 73
9. Sechene on a2
Example 72 a2 First Method
Example 73 a2 Second Method
Sechene on a2 is most often used in horovodni 2 melodies. Take for

example the phrase in Example 74:
2 Melodies played at a moderate tempo in a danceable manner. (Eds.)

74 Sechene
Example 74
If the quarter note of the first beat of the first and third measures is
transformed into a triplet and played with sechene, the phrase will take the
following form (Example 75):
Example 75
Vibrato can also be combined with sechene to articulate the triplets

(Example 76):
Example 76
The dotted eighth and the sixteenth notes in the second and fourth
measures can also be performed with vibrato (Example 77):
Example 77
Sechene 75
Example 78 shows the combination of vibrato with sechene on d3 in

the second and fourth measures:
Example 78
If we play the phrase with vibrato and sechene as notated in Example

78, there is no need to mark which notes are played legato; it is impossible
for the phrase to sound any other way but legato.
10. Sechene on Other Notes in the Second Octave
The next notes in a descending direction in the natural scale of the D-

kaval are: a-flat2 (g-sharp2), g2, g-flat2 (f-sharp2), f2, e2 and d2.
Sechene is not done on these notes because the effect would be the same as
that of a grace note, as mentioned previously for d-flat3/c-sharp3 and c3
(see page 65).
76 Sechene
11. Sechene on b-flat1
Eight methods for sechene on b-flat2 have been shown above. These
techniques cannot be used for sechene on b-flat1, despite the fact that the
fingering for both notes is identical. This is due to differences of timbre in
the two different octaves. In the low register, the kaval acquires a
particularly sensuous and emotional sound. This rich expressiveness can
easily be lost if the players fingers move haphazardly over the open holes.
Most kavals are made by self-taught craftsmen who choose their own
patterns of construction and determine the measurements accordingly.
Such instruments do not conform to any theoretical acoustical model and
are not necessarily in tune from one octave to another.
Therefore, even though we use the same fingering to play b-flat in
different octaves, we cannot perform sechene on both notes with the same
techniques. Even so, sechene on b-flat1 is possible.
Example 79 b-flat1 First Method
Sechene 77
Example 80 b-flat1 Second Method
12. Sechene on a1.
Example 81 a1 First Method

78 Sechene
Example 82 a1 Second Method
Example 83 a1 Third Method

Sechene 79
Example 84 a1 Fourth Method
Example 85 a1 Fifth Method

80 Sechene
Example 86 a1 Sixth Method
13. Sechene on a-flat1 (g-sharp1)
Example 87 a-flat1 First Method

Sechene 81
Example 88 a-flat1 Second Method
Example 89 a-flat1 Third Method

82 Sechene
14. Sechene on g1
Example 90 g1 First Method
Example 91 g1 Second Method

Sechene 83
Example 92 g1 Third Method
15. Sechene on Other Notes in the First Octave
Sechene is not used on g-flat1 (f-sharp1), f1, e1 or d1.

COMBINING VIBRATO AND SECHENE
1. Introduction
We have previously described how vibrato and sechene can each be
used to articulate long notes by dividing them into shorter notes. With
these ornaments, the melody line becomes smoother and more beautiful
and has a more powerful emotional effect on the listener.
Folk players skillfully use vibrato and sechene together but it may not
be obvious when, where or how to combine them appropriately. In this
chapter we will explore typical places where it is possible to use sechene
and vibrato in the melody line. No one can describe all the methods and
variations that a folk player might use but we will present a number of
examples and highlight most of the possible ways to use these ornaments
together.
2. Combining Vibrato and Sechene

in Free Rhythm Melodies
When we previously discussed vibrato, we limited the discussion to its
use in fixed meter phrases. As we develop the concept of articulating long
notes in free rhythm phrases, the use of vibrato and sechene both
separately and together will become clearer.
Free rhythm melodies are usually transcribed with a caesura to indicate
the relatively long note values (Example 1, page 25). From now on in the
examples, we will deliberately omit caesuras because they obscure the
notation of other symbols in the scores.
Example 93
Consider the e3 in Example 93. How should it be played?
84
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 85
The note is performed with vibrato in the initial phase (Example 94).
We cannot define how many times vibrato will sound because slow
melodies develop aleatorically (without any time limitations). Motivated
by a feeling for the beauty of the melody, the folk performer senses that
with vibrato alone, the sound does not have enough emotive potency. He
therefore seeks to change the way he creates the sound. Immediately after
playing vibrato, he begins sechene on the note that is sounding (Example
95).
Example 94
Remember that in the musical examples the notation for sechene is

written arbitrarily above the staff. A particular method for sechene on e3 is
not indicated because the performer may choose any of the available
methods described in the previous chapter.
Example 95
86 Combining Vibrato and Sechene
If the kaval player can control his breathing perfectly, the playing of the
note can be made even more complex. Finishing with vibrato in the final
phase of the note will certainly please even the most demanding listener
(Example 96):
Example 96
So far we have only considered the methods for playing e3. In fact, the
entire phrase shown in Example 93 can be interpreted with both vibrato
and sechene (Example 97). As such it is a good example to use for kaval
classes.
Example 97
The following examples show some melodic phrases where possibilities

for changes in articulation are marked.
Example 98
At the very beginning of the phrase in Example 98 the instrumentalist

has the opportunity to change the articulation and to enrich the timbre of d-
sharp3. The f-sharp3 which follows is performed with an alternate
fingering (Example 99) so the player can use vibrato.
Example 99
Changing the fingering is also necessary for playing the last note in
Example 98, b2 (Example 100).
Example 100
In the previous examples, we have shown the use of vibrato in the first
phase of the long held notes. In Example 101, however, the half note g1 is
played first by sechene and then by adding vibrato. This sequence of the
ornaments is not an exception but rather is the result of the folk players
creative invention.
Example 101
Example 102
Example 103
Example 104
Example 104 shows how Stoyan Velichkov played the beginning of the
song Ljubila Stafeta Stoyan Kehaya when he recorded this song with the
folk orchestra of Radio Sofia in an arrangement by Kosta Kolev. The score
shows vibrato on a-sharp2 (b-flat2). Vibrato on a-sharp2 (and f3) is very
difficult to play because it is done solely by rocking the thumb over the
first hole. Velichkov's classic performance is preserved in the Golden
Record Collection [Zlaten Fond] of Bulgarian National Radio.
3. Combining Vibrato and Sechene

in Fixed Meter Melodies
We have described how sechene is used in free rhythm melodic

structures; it has an improvisatory character and can be used with or can
replace vibrato. The combination of vibrato and sechene is also found in
fixed meter kaval music from Thrace. In fixed meter melodies, the
combination of these ornaments takes on a different character and transmits
a different feeling.
We would like to reiterate that the conditions for the appearance and
performance of sechene in fixed meter melodies are the same as for the use
of vibrato. Sechene is performed on long notes within the measure and
occasionally involves two or more notes connected by a tie across the bar
line. The player strictly observes the metric framework of the melody and
sechene, like vibrato, must conform precisely to the metric pulse.
Therefore, kaval players may choose the notes for which they perform
sechene and which alternate fingerings they use to play it but they cannot
choose how many times they perform sechene.
To clarify this point, we will show a number of melodic examples and
different ways of interpreting them. In these examples, the upper staff
shows how this phrase would typically be transcribed, while the lower staff
shows the details of how kaval virtuosos have used ornaments to embellish
those phrases.
Example 105 - (From Slivensko Paidushko Horo as played by Stoyan

Chobanov)
Example 106
Example 107
In Example 108 we demonstrate a particularly appropriate way of using

sechene and vibrato together. The first measure ends on a2 (a sixteenth
note) and the second measure begins on a2 (an eighth note). Our first
inclination might be to articulate these two notes with vibrato. However, if
we play the sixteenth note with an alternate fingering and the eighth note
with the standard fingering, we will produce a characteristic substitution of
sechene for vibrato.
Example 108
Example 109 shows another way to play the first measure of Example
108. In this variation the phrase is embellished with the triplet, which
subtly changes the configuration of the written score. This change does not
have a negative effect on the development of the melody because it affects
only very short notes. Nonetheless performing sechene for so many short
notes (nine sixteenth-notes in one measure) requires expert use of both
basic and alternate fingerings. Played in this way, the phrase is smooth and
the connection between the notes is uninterrupted.
Example 109
The melodies in the following two examples are very appropriate ones
to demonstrate when teaching students how to use vibrato and sechene
together. Wherever a note may be performed with vibrato, sechene may be
used instead of or in addition to vibrato. The second ending in Example
111 is of particular interest. We can end the phrase with sechene in the last
phase of the final note.
Example 110
Example 111
Example 112
In order to preserve the authentic sound of Example 112, strict

observance of the ornamentation transcribed on the lower line is required.
Using sechene is obligatory. Otherwise the melody will develop only
horizontally and this is not sufficient. Preservation of the relationships
between the intervals and playing the notes exactly on pitch does not
guarantee having a positive effect on listeners. That inner metric pulsation
which results from the combination of sechene and vibrato will be lacking.
Example 113
The interpretation of vodeno horo type melodies requires a detailed

understanding of and familiarity with the style of the Thracian players.
How, or with which ornaments, should a given phrase be performed, in
order to be presented in its most meaningful and emotional form? We
cannot answer these questions with certainty because folk players use a
variety of expressive means and technical approaches in their performance.
Let us examine Example 113 and explore different ways of interpreting
the first measure. It contains two sets of triplets and d3 is played three
times in a row. Naturally, we will focus our attention on the triple
occurrence of this note when we consider the possible variations for
ornamentation. The first measure of Example 113 shows sechene on d3 at
the end of the first triplet.
Example 114
In Example 114 the three d3s are articulated with vibrato.
Example 115
In Example 115, we add sechene on a2 at the end of the measure.
Example 116
In Example 116, the two d3s of the first triplet are separated by a grace
note and the connection between the two triplets is maintained by using
vibrato.
Example 117
Example 117 is similar to the previous example except that sechene is

performed on a2 at the end of the measure.
Example 118
In Example 118, the two d3s of the first triplet are separated with a
double grace note and sechene is used on the second d3.
Example 119

added on a2.
Example 120
In Example 120 the double grace note is replaced by vibrato. The fourth
finger rocks d3 only once. Almost immediately the right hand plays
sechene.
Example 121

added on a2. This is the most difficult variation and requires very good
instrumental technique and a developed sense of what sounds best in this
musical context.
In practice therefore, it turns out that the first measure of Example 113
can be performed in nine different ways. Which of them we choose
depends on our aesthetic preferences and our individual capabilities as a
performer.
The second measure of Example 113 contains two rhythmic figures
that are typical of the pravo horo from Thracea dotted eighth and
sixteenth note followed by a quarter note, as shown:
In Example 113, the quarter note of the second beat is transformed into
a triplet which starts with vibrato and ends with sechene.
For now, we will not consider any new ornaments for the first metric
beat but will use vibrato as shown. However, the quarter note of the second
beat can be ornamented in two other ways besides using vibrato.
Example 122
Example 122 shows that even without vibrato we can still envision the
quarter note divided into a triplet. We could then use sechene on d3 in the
middle of the triplet to articulate the notes of the triplet, three repeats of d3.
Alternatively, we could add a grace note to the triplet and use sechene on
the last eighth note as shown in Example 123.
Example 123
The third measure of Example 113 is similar to the first. The fourth
measure contains one quarter note (b2) and a triplet (a2-g2-g2), as shown:
We have already shown how the quarter note can be articulated.

In the last triplet it is possible to separate the two g2s by a grace note
instead of using vibrato (Example 124).
Example 124
The last example in this section is a phrase from Aftanski Rchenik

as performed by the unforgettable Dragan Karapchanski (Example 125).
Example 125 (From Aftanski Rchenik, as played by Dragan

Karapchanski)
As we have seen in many of the examples, sechene can replace vibrato,

vibrato can be exchanged for sechene, or they can be used together. Both
ornaments enhance the sound quality of the long notes so that they become
more expressive, stirring, and emotionally powerful. The skillful
combination of sechene with vibrato is a trademark of the revered Thracian
kaval players. The ability of Thracian players to change the means of
expression while performing distinguishes the sound of the Thracian
melodies from that of the melodies of the Shope or North Bulgarian kaval
players.
GLISSANDO
1. Introduction
Glissando is a sliding movement from one pitch to another. On certain
instruments such as the violin, it is possible to produce a continuous
variation in pitch between notes whereas on an instrument like the piano,
glissando is composed of a succession of discrete pitches. On the kaval,
glissando is a continuous movement from one pitch to an adjacent pitch.
Thracian kaval players skillfully use glissando to go fluidly between
notes when interpreting the sounds that build a given musical phrase. They
blend notes into one another and weave them into the beautiful sound
fabrics for which traditional kaval players are well known. Bulgarian
folklorists have documented how old master kaval players used glissando
to go fluidly between notes and to connect notes in all registers of the
kaval.
The artful use of glissando identifies a player who can truly emulate the
style of the old masters. Appreciation of and preservation of this style
should be a basic goal in the education of beginning players. Glissando
requires specific technical skills, however, which beginning musicians will
not acquire until a later stage in their training. The teacher should direct a
students attention to glissando only after the basic kaval fingerings have
been mastered and a certain level of creative maturity has been achieved.
A Western European wind player performs glissando by changing the
intensity of the air stream directed from his lips to the mouthpiece of his
instrument. This is a matter of principle, whether we are talking about
woodwinds (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, etc.) or brass instruments
(trumpet, trombone, tuba etc.). This principle derives from the construction
of these instruments: they have a variety of keys, valves, vibrating pieces
(reeds) or other mechanisms which enable them to produce a chromatic
scale in both ascending and descending directions. These devices are
constructed so that they can very quickly and precisely open and close the
acoustic outlets they are attached to. Generally speaking, performers
cannot produce any of the notes with a half-open or half-closed valve.
The kaval has no auxiliary parts and notes are played by moving the
fingers on or off the sound holes. At first glance this would suggest that
performing glissando on the kaval might be easier than performing it on
other wind instruments. However, correct finger placement requires the
development of a range of conditioned reflexes to which our limbs are not
accustomed. Acquiring these reflexes is a difficult, long and often very
103
104 Glissando
boring process. This is why we cannot expect beginning students to be able

to produce glissando.
When executing glissando, the player cannot simply put his fingers on
or lift his fingers off the holes but rather must slide his fingers over them.
The glide is performed from the tip toward the base of the finger and lasts
for the amount of time it takes to play the notes that are being connected.
2. Glissando in an Ascending Direction
Glissando on the kaval is usually performed in an ascending direction.

The simple explanation for this is that sliding any finger over the hole
causes the hole to open and results in a sound change or new note, most
often the next upper note. On modern wind instruments, glissando can be
performed in both directions because glissando is achieved by changing the
intensity of the air stream and not by uncovering sound holes. Sliding the
fingers to produce glissando in a descending direction is possible on kaval
but is only done in specific circumstances to be discussed later.
a. Glissando in an Interval of a Minor Second
In the following examples, glissando is used to connect notes which are

separated by an interval of a minor second. Using glissando in these
phrases is not particularly difficult, even for beginning players. The
interval between the pitches of the notes connected by glissando is too
small to cause problems.
From here on, the symbol for glissando will be a short wavy (stair-
step) line between notes. For most of the examples in this chapter, we
only indicate the places to use glissando and do not indicate the places to
use other possible ornaments.
Example 126
Glissando 105
Example 127
Example 128
Example 129
Example 130
b. Glissando in an Interval of a Major Second
In the next examples, glissando is used to connect notes which are

separated by an interval of a major second.
106 Glissando
Example 131
Example 132
Example 133
Example 134
If these examples are played without glissando, the basic melodies will
be clear and the rhythms will be accurate, but the passages will not have
the fluid quality that occurs with the use of glissando.
At certain times when glissando would seem to be an appropriate link
between two notes, folk players intentionally omit glissando and play the
Glissando 107
second note as a trill 1. This substitution is called for in some specific

melodic and rhythmic circumstances, as shown in the following examples.
Example 135
In Example 135, an interval of a major second separates d3 from e3 in

the first measure and c3 from d3 in the second measure; these would seem
to be appropriate places to use glissando. Folk players have intuitively
sensed, however, that glissando is not appropriate for connecting a short
note with a relatively longer one, because connecting such note values
breaks the interaction between the structural metric units within the
measures.
In our example, two eighth notes form the first metric beat and a quarter
note forms the second metric beat in both the first and second measures.
Connecting the second eighth note to the quarter note with glissando would
lengthen the sound of the eighth note and at the same time delay the
quarter note. In other words, the first metric beat would be lengthened at
the expense of the second. Violating the rhythm is a mark of poor musical
aesthetics and professional incompetence.
Replacing glissando with a trill on the second of two notes can be seen
most often in melodic structures of the Buenek type (Sborinka, Trite pti,
Na rka, etc.) (Example 136 and Example 137).
Example 136
1 Trills will be discussed in a later chapter. (Eds.)

108 Glissando
Example 137
Folk players omit glissando in Thracian rchenitsas and horos of the

vodeno type, for example pravo horo, and prefer instead to perform the
upper (adjacent) note as vibrato (Example 138 and Example 139). Recall
that for a note to be played with vibrato it must have a relatively long note
value.
Example 138
Example 139
Despite what we said with respect to Example 133 above, a relatively

short note can be connected to a longer note with glissando. In the best
artistic style, the second note has a relatively long duration and is played
with vibrato (Example 140 and Example 141). (See also Example 166 and
Example 174).
Glissando 109
Example 140
Example 141
3. Glissando in Triplet Structures
We have previously discussed the folk musicians affinity for triplets.

When triplets are missing from a musical phrase, the kaval player will
often create them by using vibrato or sechene to divide a long note. Within
triplets, there are adjacent notes in an ascending or descending direction as
well as notes that form intervals that are larger than a minor or a major
second (leaps). Certain notes within triplets can be connected by glissando.
a. Glissando in a Single Ascending Triplet
The triplet is a musical figure composed of three notes of equal value

and is often followed by a long note. This long note is considered to
support the shorter notes of the triplet and thus the notes of the triplet are
considered to lean into the supporting long note.
When a triplet is composed of three ascending notes in succession,
glissando connects the second and third of those notes. When glissando is
used in this way, the natural sense of the triplet leaning into the supporting
long tone is enhanced.
110 Glissando
Example 142
Example 143
Example 144
b. Glissando in Two Consecutive Ascending Triplets.
Melodic structures containing two consecutive triplets are not common

in traditional Bulgarian folk music but they do exist. In these cases,
glissando is played between the second and third notes of the second
triplet.
In Example 145, the natural gradation caused by the ascending
movement of the triplets ends with glissando from a1 towards b-flat1, the
melodic culmination of the phrase. Reached through glissando, this note
becomes the most sensitive of the whole sequence and seeks its natural
resolution in the next note, a1, the first metric beat of the second measure.
Glissando 111
Example 145
c. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet with a Leap
When a triplet occurs with a leap between the first and second eighth
note in the triplet, glissando is played between the second and third note of
the triplet.
Example 146
Example 147
112 Glissando
Example 148
Example 149
If the leap is between the second and third eighth notes of the triplet,
glissando is used between the first two eighth notes of the triplet or is not
used at all. In Example 150 there are triplets in the first and third measures
where glissando can be used without difficulty.
Example 150
Glissando 113
Example 151
Example 151 shows a case where glissando is not used at all. The first
triplet in the first and third measures begins with an interval of a major
second in an ascending direction between the first two notes and is
immediately followed by a leap between the second two notes of the
triplet. Nevertheless, the first and second notes are not connected by means
of glissando because:
1. The major second interval in the first triplet contains the notes
a2 and b2. Since it is necessary to move not one but all five
fingers to produce these notes, playing glissando is impossible.
Example 152
114 Glissando
2. The major second interval in the first triplet of the third

measure contains the notes g2 and a2. It is easy to link these
two notes by glissando. The difficulty arises with the last note
of the triplet, e3, which is produced with the same fingering as
a2. In order to separate these two notes we have to use the
tongue, in other words, use staccato. Using staccato obliges us
to maintain the correct metric values of the triplet in order not
to break the general pulsation of the sound picture.
3. In a fast tempo glissando is not a typical link between notes.
d. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet with Two Leaps
In the next two examples, glissando is impossible for two reasonsthe

tempo is fast and there are no adjacent pitches within the ascending triplets
which can be connected by glissando.
Example 153
Example 154
Glissando 115
e. Glissando in an Ascending Triplet

With an Augmented Second
Depending on the position of the augmented second within the triplet,

there are two possible approaches to the use of glissando.
If an interval of an augmented second exists between the first and the
second eighth notes of the triplet, glissando is played between the second
and third notes of the triplet. The following examples show that this is the
case for both registers of the kaval.
Example 155
Example 156
116 Glissando
If an interval of an augmented second exists between the second and

third eighth note of the triplet, glissando is played between the first and
second eighth notes of the triplet.
Example 157
Example 158
Example 159
4. Special Situations
a. Using Glissando to Connect a2 (or a-sharp2) with b2
Connecting a2 and b2 with glissando most often occurs when b2 occurs

twice in succession after a2 (Example 160). It is possible to use glissando
Glissando 117
between a2 and b2 only if b2 is played with an alternate fingering. In this

case, we use an alternate fingering to perform the first b2 and immediately
move our fingers to play the second b2 with the standard fingering
(Example 161).
Example 160
Example 161
The notes a-sharp2 and b2 are linked by glissando in the same fashion
(Example 162).
118 Glissando
Example 162
Example 163
b. Using Glissando to Connect d1 and e1 (or d2 and e2)
In melodies with a fixed meter, glissando is played smoothly and

calmly, yet is strictly dependent on the tempo and the rhythm. This is true
even when the time available for playing glissando between notes is very
short, as is the case between d1 and e1 (Example 164).
Example 164
Glissando 119
The interval between d1 and e1 (or d2 and e2) is a special case because
even though the sound holes on which those notes are produced are
adjacent, the pitches are a whole step apart. As in other cases, glissando is
achieved by sliding the eighth finger over the eighth hole, but the
respiratory system also plays a critical role here. While the player slides his
finger he simultaneously overblows into the kaval to such a degree that the
desired note e1 (or e2) is produced. In general, glissando requires the
player to exhale the air from his lungs in an even stream. If the player
exhales jerkily, sporadically or quickly, intonation will suffer.
Overblowing in this situation is risky with respect to the general phrasing
and intonation. The intensity of the overblowing and the moment at which
the air stream is interrupted are crucial. Why?
If the temporary increase in the exhaled stream of air from overblowing
continues after e1 (or e2) has sounded, the result will be a partial increase
in pitch or a false sound. Such false sounds are undesirable and suggest
poor musical training. Playing with poor intonation is not typical of master
traditional Bulgarian musicians.
Example 165 requires even more skillful kaval technique and perfect
control of breathing.
Example 165
c. Using Glissando in Descending Phrases
If the player is at a stage in his learning where he is not able to play

glissando, the melodies will sound stylized and will lack the smooth
distinctive Thracian sound. The mechanical lifting of the fingers
guarantees only the correct pitches. Played without appropriate
ornamentation, the notes will sound like those played on a flute or other
modern European wind instrument with valves and keys.
We pointed out earlier that traditional kaval players typically use
glissando to connect notes of the melody that are moving in an ascending
direction. This is owing to the fact that players slide their fingers over and
open the holes of the simple fingerboard to produce a note of increased
pitch. Thracian kaval players do use descending glissando skillfully but
120 Glissando
very sparingly and only in very particular melodic sequences (Example

166 and Example 167).
Example 166
Example 167
Glissando 121
The examples clearly show that the use of descending glissando

requires three conditions:
1. The presence of two adjacent steps in the melody line in the

following order: low (basic or fundamental), high (the next
uppera half-step up), low (basic) step.
2. The notes should be relatively short.
3. The notes should all be of the same duration or be changed to
the same duration by vibrato or sechene.
The first condition is necessary because when glissando in a

descending direction is used, it immediately follows the use of glissando in
an ascending direction.
Example 168
Example 169
122 Glissando
Example 170
The movement of the fingers while playing the combination of

ascending and descending glissando is similar to the finger movement
while playing vibrato. The finger movements, however, are not the same.
In fact, the purposes of vibrato and glissando are different. Vibrato divides
a long note into shorter notes and effectively adds notes (or at least pulses)
to the melody. The combination of ascending and descending glissando
connects at least three shorter notes. In addition, the change in pitch which
occurs with vibrato is not as great as the change in pitch that occurs with
the combination of ascending and descending glissando.
Example 171
For greater clarity and ease of description, let us replace the notes of the
first measure of Example 171 with Roman numerals: I for c-sharp3 and II
for d3. In this way the melodic sequence of the first four notes looks like a
formula in which the two adjacent steps alternate: I - II - I - II. In this case,
Glissando 123
Note I is produced by covering five holes and is very short. It is followed

immediately by a glide of the fifth finger to produce Note II. Thus
glissando connects the first two notes in an ascending direction. Let us call
the performance of glissando between notes I and II: Stage 1.
So far there is nothing new, unusual or complicated about playing
glissando between these two notes, except the duration of the glide. The
sixteenth notes require the player to perform glissando very quickly and
accurately. The temporary instability and natural desire for resolution that
is created by glissando in Stage 1 would typically be satisfied by the
presence of a long note, but there is no such long note in this musical
phrase.
In Stage 2 the player uses glissando in a descending direction to
connect Note II to Note I. In fact, Stage 2 begins before Stage 1 is finished,
and the player produces the descending glissando in a very resourceful
way. The initial upward glide of the fifth finger does not allow the hole to
open completely. In our case, Note I is raised, but it does not reach Note
II. This kind of incomplete opening of the hole is reminiscent of vibrato,
but in this case the increased pitch of note I is markedly greater than with
vibrato. In Example 169, c-sharp3 almost becomes d3.
The slight flatness of Note II does not destroy the pure intonation of the
melodic line. Note II is a sixteenth note, which does not sound for any
significant length of time, but rather, calls for immediate resolution
towards the next supporting note.
Performing the descending glide does not require preparation. It is done
with the same finger which is already in position on the partially open hole.
The hole is closed by moving the finger smoothly from the base towards
the tip of the finger. In practice, this is the most important moment of
Stage 2. In addition to the fast tempo, the player should also bear in mind
the small intervals that form the melody line.
After Stage 2 is completed, typical ascending glissando is used to
connect Note I to Note II.
We have just described how the fingers must move in order to play
ascending glissando followed by descending glissando. We have
diagrammed this cycle of movements in Example 172.
124 Glissando
Example 172
On the horizontal line we have drawn the fifth hole of the kaval which
is closed at the beginning of the Stage 1 and is almost completely open at
the beginning of the Stage 2.
The curved arrows connecting Notes I and II symbolize the sliding of
the finger and the straight arrows indicate the initial movement necessary
to open and close any hole.
The folk player continually strives to play in such a way as to evoke
great emotion with his music. The taste and flair with which folk players
use descending glissando greatly enhances their playing. It is important to
note, however, that molding the sound in the manner that is necessary to
play descending glissando can sometimes cause unanticipated errors:
1. If we do not play descending glissando as described, there can

be a problem with intonation. If Stage 1 ends with the hole
fully open, Note II will sound at its true pitch which means
that glissando in a descending direction cannot be performed.
We have explained above that closing the holes requires an
automatic movement of the fingers, a conditioned reflex whose
goal is to cover the hole completely in the shortest possible
time. In this way perfect intonation is ensured.
2. If we attempt to use the combination of ascending and
descending glissando to connect notes of unequal value, even
if they occur in the pattern I - II - I II, there will be a
disruption of the rhythm.
Glissando 125
Example 173
Example 173 illustrates the problem of trying to use glissando to

connect a shorter note to a longer note. In the first measure we find a
sequence of the I II - I type, but it cannot be played with glissando in
both directions because the notes are of unequal length. If we attempt to
use glissando as a link between Note II and Note I then the rhythmic
relationship between all the beats will disintegrate. Instead of
we will produce
126 Glissando
Played in this manner the structural relationships in the phrase

changea complex rhythm is transformed into a simpler rhythm. The
presence of diverse rhythmic figures within a melody is a sign of rich
creative invention on the part of the music's composer or player.
Conversely, simplifying the rhythm results in an elementary sound image.
Besides having significant effects on the rhythm of the musical phrase
under discussion, using glissando in both directions in this case would
adversely affect intonation. When the combination of ascending and
descending glissando is used appropriately, the transition between Stage 1
and Stage 2 is so fast that the slight flatness of Note II is not appreciated.
In Example 173, however, Note II and the second occurrence of Note I are
both long notes and must sound at their true pitches.
The two dotted eighth notes in the first measure of Example 173 each
require different ornaments. Glissando can be used to connect Note I to
Note II but not Note II to Note I. The second occurrence of Note I is a
dotted eighth note. This long note calls for a different means of expression
vibratowhich changes the dotted eighth note into three smaller notes.
Although vibrato changes the rhythmic configuration of the measure, the
addition of a triplet introduces complexity into the rhythm, enriches the
melodic line, and gives it a more rational sound.
In summary, folk players would not use glissando in both directions as
a link between the notes of the pattern I - II - I shown in Example 173, but
would seek variety in playing this phrase. The dotted eighth note of the
second beat cannot be articulated with glissando because the time it takes
to play that note is three times as long as that of the sixteenth note at the
beginning of the I - II - I pattern. Moreover, these notes will sound off key
or at least will stand out from the others. Thus, the best way to play this
phrase would be to use ascending glissando between Notes I and II and to
articulate the second occurrence of Note I with vibrato.
Example 174 illustrates the problem of trying to use glissando to
connect a longer note to a shorter note. When the first note of the pattern
has a relatively longer value than the next note in the melodic sequence,
connecting the sounds by glissando in both directions is possible only if
the attack on the first note is done using vibrato.
Glissando 127
Example 174
Vibrato divides the quarter note, Note I, into two eighth notes with the
second one raised by glissando to the approximate pitch of Note II. The
next glide is a Stage 2 movement.
There are other typical melodic sequences with notes in a I II I (-II)
pattern within which glissando is not used.
Example 175
If we examine Example 175 closely, we find the pattern I II I in the

first and second measures. We will focus on the second measure where the
sequence f-sharp1 - g1- f-sharp1 is found. At first, we might think that
these notes can be linked by glissando in both directions. Performing the
sequence with glissando, however, is impossible. Why?
1. The inner rhythm of the phrase is primarily expressed as a

sixteenth-note pulsation which cannot be ignored given the folk
player's sophisticated taste.
2. The pattern consists of notes of varying duration that would have to
be equalized in order to use glissando in both directions. In other
128 Glissando
words, the player would have to divide the notes into smaller
structural unitssixteenth notes.
The player has two options - to perform the attack with vibrato or to
attack these notes with a trill.
Introducing vibrato is inappropriate in this case because:
1. The tempo is fast and the melody is lively, exciting and rushing
ahead.
2. Linking notes I and II by a glide would slow down the development
of the melodic movement considerably.
3. Two successively sounding notes are linked by vibrato chiefly in
free rhythm melodies.
Given everything that has been explained above, it follows that the
most appropriate way to articulate Notes I and II in this case would be with
a trill. In addition, using a trill breaks up the listener's perception of an
uninterrupted sequence of sixteenth notes. Glissando, however, cannot be
used to connect trilled notes.
The same sort of reasoning would apply to the II - I sequence of notes
in the second beat. g1 is an eighth note; it is twice as long as the two
following sixteenth notes. These notes cannot be connected with glissando.
Example 176 is also performed with trills.
Example 176
ACCENT NOTES
1. Introduction
According to general music theory, accenting is a way to emphasize a
certain note or chord. Typically, an accented note dominates over other
notes in loudness, duration, or pitch and takes an important place in the
construction of an entire phrase because it functions as a musical
culmination.
In traditional Thracian kaval playing, accents have a somewhat different
function than described above. Although an accent may be used to
emphasize a certain note in the melody, that note is not necessarily the
highest one, the longest one, or the one with the strongest beat. In fact,
practically any of the notes making up a musical phrase may be accented.
Accents may be used to separate two adjacent notes in a way that is
particular to kaval playing. This separation is achieved not as the result of
nuances of dynamics or tempo but rather by the introduction of a new note
between the two adjacent notes. This third note is not specifically part of
the melody and is one or more steps higher (or sometimes lower) than the
note which it precedes. We shall call this new note an accent note and will
refer to the note which follows it as the accented note. An accent note can
create an especially strong link between two notes either within or across
measures.
An accent note is actually a sound effect that is caused by a sharp, quick
movement of the fingers. It is very short and lasts only for the time it takes
for the fingers to move from the position used to play the accent note to the
position used to play the next note of the melody, the accented note. The
timing of this movement is strictly fixed and directly dependent upon the
metric and rhythmic relationships of the notes both within and between the
measures. The moment for playing the accent note is crucial. The finger
movement must happen immediately before the accented note is to sound
or the melodic line will be disrupted and will sound unclear and overly
complicated.
Although the accent note is played before the accented note, the accent
note should not be misconstrued as a grace note. The differences between
an accent note and a grace note are subtle and difficult to describe. The
grace note, although short, is a note that fully sounds in time with a true
pitch (see Example 177). The accent note is a sound effectit is extremely
short, is almost attached to the accented note, and may not sound with a
true pitch. If the accent note is played too early, it will be perceived as a
nachschlag (aftertone), taking away some time away from e3 but not
129
130 Accent Notes
accenting f-sharp3. Only a demonstration on the instrument can make

clear the differences in how these examples sound.
Example 177
In referring to accents, folk players use the expression: ...the kaval

should go along smoothly and the fingers should unstick, so that the
melody can spin... 1 They also use the term bruising the note. Both terms
suggest that the accent note changes the quality of the accented note.
The sound character of an accent note can be very mild, dry, or even
shrill. When the accent note is lower than the accented note the ornament
has a very pleasant timbre.
The intensity of the sound effect of the accent note depends on the
interval between the accent note and the accented notethe larger the
interval, the greater the intensity of the accent.
Example 178
1Statement by Dimitr Trendafilov, kaval player from the village of

Sinapovo, near Yambol, who was 74 years old when interviewed by the
author in August, 1987.
Accent Notes 131
In Example 178, the accent note is the same in both cases, b1, but the
effect of the accent will be much greater in case A than in case B. In the
first case the interval between the accent note and the accented note is a
perfect fifth while in the second case the interval is a minor third.
2. Accent Notes for Intervals

of a Major or Minor Second
Chart 1 and Chart 2 show the notes most often used by traditional
players to accent within the intervals of the major and minor seconds of the
kavals range. Chart 1 shows descending intervals and Chart 2 shows
ascending intervals. In these examples, the second whole note of each
measure is the note which is accented; the quarter note shows the pitch of
the accent note. The number written under the quarter note indicates
which finger moves to play the accent note. The second line of the staff
shows an alternative accent note for the same interval. The whole notes
and the quarter notes do not indicate the actual duration of the notes; they
are only used to indicate the pitches of the accent and accented notes in
these examples.
132 Accent Notes
Chart 1 Accent Notes for Descending Intervals

[Note: Empty measures and measures marked "accents not used" are not
recorded on the compact disc.]
Accent Notes 133
134 Accent Notes
Accent Notes 135
Chart 2 Accent Notes for Ascending Intervals

[Note: Empty measures and measures marked "accents not used" are not
recorded on the compact disc.]
136 Accent Notes
Accent Notes 137
138 Accent Notes
3. Using Accent Notes in Descending Musical Phrases
a. Using Accent Notes for Intervals of a Major or Minor Second

in Descending Musical Phrases
Traditional players exhibit a definite predilection for accenting notes

that occur in descending melodic sequences. The following examples
demonstrate the use of accent notes in descending intervals of a major or
minor second.
From here on in the music examples our symbol for an accent note
will be an arrow pointing to the note in the melody which is to be
accented. The number next to the arrow indicates which finger
performs the accent note. (See Example 179.)
Accent notes may be used in both fixed meter and free rhythm pieces.
Example 179
Example 180
Accent Notes 139
Example 181
Example 182
Example 183
b. Using Accent Notes for Intervals of Greater Than a Major or

Minor Second in Descending Musical Phrases
When an accent occurs between two pitches that are separated by an

interval greater than a major second, the effect of the accent note is
increased considerably. Again, the power and effect of the accent note
depends on the interval between the accent note and the accented note. In
Example 184 A and B, an accent note is produced by moving the first
finger, but it will sound markedly stronger in Example 184B because the
140 Accent Notes
interval between the notes is greatera perfect fifth rather than a perfect
fourth.
Example 184
The next examples show the use of accent notes in musical phrases with
intervals greater than a major second.
Example 185
Example 186
Accent Notes 141
Example 187
Example 188
4. Using Accent Notes in Ascending Musical Phrases
Despite the fact that traditional players use accent notes more frequently
in descending musical passages, they do use accent notes in ascending
musical passages, as shown in the following examples.
Example 189
142 Accent Notes
Example 190
Example 191
Example 192
The examples in this chapter provide evidence that there are far fewer
accented notes in melodies that develop in an ascending direction than in
those that develop in a descending line. Furthermore, accent notes tend to
be used for note values that sound rather more independently as structural
elements in phrases and, in most cases, take up an entire metric beat.
SHORT TRILLS
1. Introduction
A trill is an ornament produced by the repeated quick alternation of one
note (the basic note) with an adjacent note, the next note above or below in
the prevailing key. It takes up part of the length (time) of the basic note.
Historically, the symbols for trills have varied; in current Western musical
notation, a trill is usually indicated by the mark tr above the note on which
it is performed. There are many ways to play a trill. A trill can begin on the
main note or the adjacent note, and the alternation of notes may occur
once, a few, or many times. The following are generic examples of short
trills.
Example 193
Example 194
Example 195
143
144 Short Trills
The following are examples of long trills.
Example 196
Example 197
Example 198
Thracian kaval players use trills to articulate long notes. They perform
this ornament as a short trill beginning on the basic note of the melody or
on the upper adjacent note. In most cases the adjacent note is a minor
second above the basic note. This is not a firm rule, however, because folk
players ornament their melodies in their own way, on the basis of their own
technical capabilities and esthetic feelings, and not according to any
theoretical principles.
In published Bulgarian folk music, tr and (mordent) are both used
non-specifically to indicate trills. In the rest of this chapter we use the
word trill to refer to the short trill typically used by traditional
Thracian kaval players and we indicate the short trill with a circle
around the note to be trilled, as shown below.
Short Trills 145
2. Short Trills in Fixed Meter Melodies
Short trills in fixed meter melodies take two forms. When the note to be
trilled is at the beginning of a measure or phrase, the trill begins on the
adjacent note above the basic note. When the note to be trilled is in the
middle of a measure or phrase, the trill begins on the basic note itself.
In Example 199, the object of our attention will be the first note of the
first measure, c-sharp3. Without ornamentation, this note is played by
closing five holes.
Example 199
Adding a short trill will transform the phrase as shown in Example 200.
Example 200
Here are the mechanics of playing this trill:
1. The initial attack is actually on d3. The player has four fingers down
with his fifth finger poised above the fifth hole; d3 sounds for a very
short time.
2. As soon as d3 sounds, the fifth finger drops down sharply, and
closes the fifth hole to produce c-sharp3.
3. As a result of striking the fingerboard so forcibly, the fifth finger
rebounds, allowing the fifth hole to open, and d3 to sound again
briefly.
146 Short Trills
4. Almost immediately, the fifth finger falls back down to close the
fifth hole, producing c-sharp3, which sounds for the remainder of
the duration of the note.
The a2 of the first beat in the second measure of Example 199 may be
approached in the same way. Adding a trill will transform the phrase as
shown in Example 201.
Example 201
Trills may also be used for the notes of the second beat in both
measures (Example 202).
Example 202
When trills are used for notes in the middle of the measure, the trill
begins on the basic note, like this:
Short Trills 147
Accent notes may be used to ornament both trilled and non-trilled

notes. Example 203 shows the full combination of trills and accent notes
which lead to the most beautiful performance of this phrase.
Example 203
The next examples show where trills would be used in some melodies
in various time signatures.
Example 204
Example 205
148 Short Trills
Example 206
Example 207
Short Trills 149
Trills may be used in the same way for three-beat groups in uneven
rhythms or in triplets. In the following examples, only the trills are marked;
other possible ornaments are not indicated.
Example 208
Example 209
Example 210
Example 211
150 Short Trills
3. Short Trills in Free Rhythm Melodies

Short trills are played in two different ways in free rhythm melodies
one way for long notes and another way for short notes.
a. Short Trills on Long Notes in Free Rhythm Melodies
In the case of long notes in free rhythm melodies, the performer has
enough time to use very elaborate ornamentation. Very often, the note will
begin as a trill, continue as vibrato, and conclude as another trill. There is
almost always a grace note, accent note, or ascending glissando before the
long note. The long note is usually followed by a short note in a
descending direction, which is ornamented with an accent note. The
sequence of ornaments is illustrated schematically in Example 212.
Example 212
Thracian kaval players frequently combine vibrato with trills to

articulate long notes. This combination is not surprising because:
1. Both ornaments are used to articulate long notes.

2. Both ornaments are played with the last finger engaged in playing
the note that is sounding at the moment.
3. The movement of the fingers while playing these two ornaments is
almost identical, although the goal of the trill is to open the hole
completely while the goal of vibrato is to open the hole only
partially.
4. With both ornaments the basic note is raised towards the upper
adjacent note. A trill is an alternation of the basic note with the upper
adjacent note whereas vibrato is an alternation of the basic note with
a pitch 5-7 hertz higher.
5. The combination of ornaments allows for greater variety and a more
expressive performance of a relatively long note and helps to move
the phrase towards its musical culmination.
Short Trills 151
Example 213 1
Example 213 shows all the details for performing a number of

ornaments together in the context of a musical phrase. The combination of
the accent note with the trill is a very important moment which is difficult
to convey in written notation. The player should master the combination of
the accent note and trill before trying to play them together in the context
of the musical phrase and before trying to add additional ornaments. The
same also goes for the complex phrases shown in the examples below.
Example 214
1 8va indicates that the phrase should be played one octave higher. (Eds.)
152 Short Trills
Example 215
Example 216
Short Trills 153
Example 217
Example 218
154 Short Trills
b. Short Trills on Short Notes in Free Rhythm Melodies
It is very difficult to play trills on short notes within free rhythm

melodies. Trills are used on short notes that occur in the middle or at the
end of a phrase, especially when the kaval player must take a breath. A trill
is most often performed on the first short note that follows a long note. In
many cases, a trill played on a short note may be perceived as a nachshlag.
Rather than letting ourselves be distracted by the semantics of music
theory, however, let us focus on how the ornament is created.
Before playing a short trill on a short note, we may have heard sechene,
vibrato or a trill at the end of the long note. In any case, before the new
short trill on the short note, there must be an accent note! Without the
accent note the effect is not the same.
Pay close attention when playing this ornament; the trill on short notes
requires excellent technique! If this trill is not played exactly, with well
thought out and fixed finger movements, the melody will sound false and
will have an unconvincing tone.
Example 219
Example 220
Short Trills 155
Example 221
SONGS
The following pieces are popular Thracian folk songs written out in
keys suitable for the kaval. The first line of the staff shows the way the
song would normally be written out. The second line of the staff shows the
way to play the piece. We have marked the places where it would be good
to use some of the ornaments or special kaval effects described in this
Handbook.
Transliterated song words are written in the score, so that the player
may get familiar with the melody by singing it before trying to play it on
kaval. We have included the Bulgarian text below the score in addition to a
translation or brief explanation in English.
On the compact disc, each song is played twice. First, Lyuben Dossev
plays the song on the kaval only; then, he accompanies singer Tanya
Dosseva. On some songs, a kaval in a lower key is used to place the
melody in a better range for the singer.
156
Songs 157
Buren, buren
158 Songs
BUREN, BUREN WEEDS, WEEDS

Bu-ren, bu-ren, ze-len Green weeds [lonely, unwanted things],
bu-ren, shto sa bu-ren why are you swaying, swaying and
po-lyu-lya-vash, po-lyu- blossoming?
lya-vash raz-tsf-tya-vash?
Songs 159
Kolyu Kera lyubi

160 Songs
Songs 161
KOLYO KERA LYUBI KOLYO LOVED KERA

Ko-lyu Ke-ra Kolyu loved Kera, he loved her
lyu-bi, lyu-bi da and wanted to take her, to marry
ya ze-mi, lyu-bi da Kero, the priests daughter.
ya ze-mi Kero
lyo po-po-va. (Popova could be someone
from a family with a priest in it
in the past.)
162 Songs
Ivan Doina duma

Songs 163
164 Songs
Songs 165
166 Songs
IVAN DOINA DUMA IVAN SAID TO DOINA

I-van Doi-na Ivan said to Doina, Doina, young
du-ma: Doi-ne, mal- maiden, Doina, turn around, so I
ka mo-me can see you. Doina, turn around so
Doi-ne, o-br- I can look at you.
ni sa, Doi-ne da
te vi-dya.
Doi-ne, o-br-
ni sa Doi-ne da
te vi-dya.
Songs 167
Rado, le
168 Songs
Songs 169
170 Songs
RADO, LE O, RADA
Ra-do, le, ti, chu- O, Rada, have you heard, have you
la li si, ti chu- understood, that Dimiter got
la li si, raz- married married off, Rada, and
bra-la; che sa Di- settled down.
mi-tr o-zhe-ni
o-zhe-ni, Ra-do
za-do-mi.
Songs 171
Tone, le, mari hubava

172 Songs
Songs 173
174 Songs
TONE, LE, MARI HUBAVA TONA, YOU BEAUTIFUL ONE

To-ne, le, ma-ri Tona, you beautiful one, Easter Day
hu-ba-va, Ve-lik- has come and gone; Easter Day has
den doi-de, za- come and gone; and St. Georges
mi-na; Ve-lik-den Day is now dawning.
doi-de, za-mi-na;
i Ger-gyov-den si
za-da-lo.
Songs 175
Dimitur konche styagashe

176 Songs
Songs 177
DIMITR KONCHE STYA- DIMITER GOT HIS HORSE

GASHE READY
Di-mi-tr kon-che stya-ga- Dimiter was getting his horse ready
she i si na kon-che and talking to him, O horse, my
du-ma-she: Ko-nyo, lyo, faithful brother, lets go, horse...
ve-ren po-bra-tim,
hai da si, ko-nyo
i-di-me...
178 Songs
Marin si grada gradeshe

Songs 179
180 Songs
MARIN SI GRADA GRA- MARIN WAS BUILDING

DESHE HIMSELF A HOUSE
Ma-rin si gra-da Marin was building himself a house
gra-de-she na [probably a fancy, big one] right on
p-tya, na krs-to p-tya; the road, at the crossroads; he was
me-re-she s ar-shin measuring with his wide yardstick
shi-ro-ko, di- [one arshin = 28 in.], raising high
ga-she por-ti vi-so-ko; gates [in a high wall];
Songs 181
Gledai, ma, gledai

182 Songs
Songs 183
GLEDAI, MA, GLEDAI LOOK AT ME

Gle-dai ma, gle-dai Look at me, Lale [tulip], my chick,
pi-len-tse, La-le, keep an eye on me; today Im here,
na-gle-dai mi se; Dnes-ka Lale, sweetie; tomorrow I wont be
sm tu-ka, pi-len- around;
tse, La-le; ut-re
ma nya-ma;
184 Songs
Maika Yordana pliteshe

Songs 185
186 Songs
Songs 187
MAIKA YORDANA PLITESHE MOTHER WAS BRAIDING

YORDANAS HAIR
Mai-ka Yor-da-na Mother was braiding [plaiting]
pli-te-she ot lya- Yordanas hair from her left
vo ra-mo do shoulder to to the right one; Father
dyas-no; Ba-shta i was sitting on a stool smoking his
na stol si-de-shi tobacco [water-] pipe;
nir-gi-le tyu-tyun
pu-she-she;
188 Songs
Katu rekla Yana

Songs 189
190 Songs
KATU REKLA YANA YANA KEPT INSISTING

Ka-tu rek-la Ya-na: --ma-mo Yana kept insisting, Mother, marry
o-zhe-ni me; me off, Mother, marry me off, get
Ma-mo, o-zhe- me settled down;
ni me; ma-mo
za-do-mi me;
BIBLIOGRAPHY
, .,
, (), . IV,
, 1957. [Angelov, B., News about musical instruments in Old
Bulgarian literature, Journal of the Institute for Music (hereafter
IIM), vol. IV, Sofia, 1957.]
, .,
, , . IV, 1957. [Andreev, A., Accounts by
foreigners of the musical activities of the Bulgarians, IIM, vol. IV,
1957.]
, .,
,
(), ., 1968. [Balareva, A., Bulgarian composers and the
problem of a national music style. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
(hereafter BAN), Sofia, 1968.]
, .,
1892 ., , . II-III, 1956. [Vakarelski, H.,
Musical folklore activities in the Plovdiv exhibition of 1892, IIM,
vols. II-III, 1956.]
, .,
, , . XVII. [Vladimirov, V., Methods for
teaching young folk performers, IIM, vol. XVII.]
, ., , , . IV.
[Detev, P., Prehistoric playable instruments, IIM, vol. IV.]
, ., , , ., 1997;
, . 2, , ., 1975. [Dzhudzhev, S.,
Musical-geographical essays and studies, Muzika, Sofia, 1977;
Bulgarian Folk Music, vol. II, Sofia, 1956.]
, ., . , ,
;
, 1987 . , .
, . [Dossev, L., The place of the kaval in Bulgarian
life. Paper presented at a conference on the questions of musical
education held during 1987 at the VMPI (Higher Institute for Music
Pedagogy), Plovdiv. (Manuscript).]
, ., , . . , ,
1985. [Draganski, S., The Kaval plays and speaks. H. G. Danov,
Plovdiv, 1985.]
191
192 Bibliography
, ., , .
, . 1, , ., 1971. [Ilieva, A.,
Bulgarian folk dances and their music, Muzikoznanie, vol. I, Nauka
i Izkustvo, Sofia, 1971.]
, ., , , ., 1970;

, . , . 2, 1974. [Kaufman, N.,
Bulgarian Folk Music. Nauka i Izkustvo, Sofia, 1970 (available in
English); Instrumental folk music of the Bulgarians in Bessarabia
and Tavriya, Bulgarian Music, vol. II, 1974.]
, ., , , . II-III, ,
1956. [Kachulev, I., Whistle-making in the village of Shipka, IIM,
vol. II-III, 1956.]
, ., , , , ., 1990.
[Kzhelov, I., Your golden hands, o master. Profizdat, Sofia, 1990.]
, ., ,
, , . 13, 1969. [Madzaraki, D., Notes
on Greek shepherds flutes, IIM, vol. XIII, 1969. (Translated from
English)]
, ., ,
, ., 1971. [Mancheva, N., Breath training for
players of wind instruments, Nauka i Izkustvo, Sofia, 1971.]
, ., , . ., . 51, ., 1895.
[Nachov, N., Excursion through folk poetry, periodical, vol. LI, Sofia,
1895.]
, ., ( ), , .,
1980. [Ognyanova, E., From the spring (folklore studies). Bulgarian
Author, Sofia, 1980.]
, ., , . [Rashkova,
N., Interview with a folk musician. (Manuscript)]
, .,
, , . 10, 1973;
, , ., 1966;
, , , .,
1973;
, , . 9, 1971. [Todorov, M., About
shepherds music in Bulgarian instrumental folklore, Bulgarian
Music, vol. X, 1973; Bulgarian Folk Music. Nauka i Izkustvo, Sofia,
1966; Bulgarian folk music instruments, organologiya. Nauka i
Izkustvo, Sofia, 1973; About several typical techniques in South
Thracian folk music, Bulgarian Music, vol. IX, 1971.]
, .,
, , ., 1974. [Todorov, T.,
Contemporary problems in teaching Bulgarian musical folklore.
BAN, Sofia, 1974.]
Bibliography 193
, .,
, , ., 1967. [Tonev, N.,
About some basic problems with wind instruments in the symphony
orchestra, Yearbook of the BDK, Sofia, 1967.]
, ., ,
, . 1, ., 1973. [Hristov, D., About the theoretical
foundation of melody. Nauka i Izkustvo, vol. I, Sofia, 1973.]
, ., ,
, ., 1969. [Chetrikov, S., Dictionary of Musical Terms.
Nauka i Izkustvo, Sofia, 1969.]
, .,
, , ., 1989. [Shopov, K., Special techniques used in
performing Bulgarian folk music. Muzika, Sofia, 1989.]

Mastering Thracian Kaval Ornamentation

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Mastering Thracian

Author: Lyuben Dossev, Ph.D.

Front cover illustration: Iliana Bozhanova

Copyright 2007 by Lyuben Dossev. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007934869

Bulgarian edition (Plovdiv, 1994): (

English edition first published December, 2007.

Preface to the English Language Edition................................................. 9

Glissando ................................................................................................ 103

Examples Track Examples Track Examples Track

Charts for Accent Notes Track

Song Solo Kaval Kaval and Vocal

I would like to thank the highly ornamented American kavaldzhii David

1 V. Atanassov, Klasifikatsiya na blgarskite narodni instrumenti [Classification

With respect to the kaval, previously published research has been

The kaval is a musical instrument that has a wealth of

We have deliberately stressed the expressions are richly ornamented

5 Kaufman, 1970, p. 84.

outside the realm of traditional folklore have greatly modified Bulgarian

7 K. Shopov, Osobeni pohvati pri izplnenie na blgarska narodna muzika

designed to help researchers, folklorists and other writers in their work, it

This Handbook describes in detail the techniques of playing many of

Mouthpiece Finger Holes Acoustic Holes

Figure 1 The Kaval

Kavals can be constructed in different lengths for different keys, and as

Figure 2 Old Master Kaval Players (From L to R): Dosyu Milkov,

Figure 3 Finger Placement and Numbering Convention

Figure 4a Fingering Chart for D-Kaval First 3 Registers

Figure 4b Fingering Chart for D-Kaval 4th Register

One of the most important characteristics of the folk music of Bulgarian

1 For a history of Bulgarian kaval players, see Slav Draganski, Kavalt

(pronounced like the letter u in hurry or butter), which we transliterate as

...A Thracians vibrato is marked by a rhythmical, rather

1 A person from Shoplk [West Central Bulgaria]. (Eds.)

kaval player gives his playing a vocal character and makes

An exceptional sense for embellishing the melody is one of the great

1. Most importantly, there must be a relatively long note, such as

2 M. Todorov, Blgarski narodni instrumenti organologiya [Bulgarian Folk

Vibrato is produced by rocking the last (lowest) finger involved in

In Example 2, c3 is a supporting long note 5; it is played with six fingers.

Incorrect rocking of the finger while playing vibrato may produce

If we write out the melody as shown in Example 5, we do not change

2. Vibrato in 2/4 Time

The principles concerning vibrato developed so far can be demonstrated

Performed with vibrato, the melody shown in Example 6 would be

Several more melodies are shown in the following examples. Vibrato

Example 18 introduces a new rhythmic figurethe dotted quarter notes

So far, we have not really changed anything and the relationships

To play this figure we make the following changes:

1. The eighth note is shortened.

In this way, the rhythm in the measures we are examining changes

In Example 18, measures three and nine would be played as shown in

The triplet is the rhythmic figure most frequently used by Thracian

8 Long-necked plucked stringed instrument. (Eds.)

There are some melodies in which using vibrato is not appropriate. In

Since Example 27 and Example 28 are not typical of the repertoire of

3. Vibrato in 5/8 Time

The approach to playing vibrato in melodies with a 5/8 time signature

4. Vibrato in 7/8 Time

The rchenitsa is a particularly emotional dance in 7/8 time that is

Typical rhythmic figures used in constructing rchenitsa melodies are

Using vibrato is appropriate in the examples above, because there are

5. Vibrato in 9/8 Time

Having considered the particulars of how vibrato is used to develop